Republic of Omisha

Chapter 31: Eliza

   Eliza led Clay and Valerie to her house to get supplies. They set up camp in the woods. Around the campfire Eliza told all of the students her plan. None of them challenged Eliza's authority. They all knew that she is a strong fighter and can be hotheaded. Eliza did, however, leave out the fact that the wolf was in the Corey. She felt that that information was on a "need to know" basis.

She had trouble sleeping, knowing that a beast dwelled a few yards away and that tomorrow she will be claiming her title as leader of the rebellion. Eliza is afraid that she will have to fight for the title.

When she is briefly asleep she has a nightmare. She sees her Mother and Kalea. She runs to embrace them, but something is wrong. Their skin is pale and they vacant stare through her. They look ghostly. Horrified, Eliza gasps and they lock their eyes on her. Their eyes narrow and they begin to say. "You could have saved us." Kalea says it first, then her Mother. It starts in a low whisper and as their voices raise so does their anger. Each time they say it they begin to speak over each other. The noise becomes louder and louder until they shout in unison. They are both enraged and Eliza has broken down to tears.

Eliza wakes, disturbed. It's still dark out. Her cheeks feel wet with tears and her eyes are puffy. She is now haunted by the question: could she have saved them? Could she have prevented their deaths? She was a common factor because she was present for both of their deaths. No- it can't be her fault. She can't blame herself, besides there is another common factor, the resistance or more accurately, the cause of having the resistance. Her uncle and all he stood for and all of the secrets he kept.

Unable to fall back to sleep, Eliza walks over to one of the two fires they constructed. It was late and the stars were out.

Eliza already felt sore from laying on the ground. The rest of the students are in tents, but Eliza knew that she wouldn't sleep through the night and appointed herself as night watch.

Each tent can fit four in each. There are five girls and three boys and they weren't going to make one of the girls bunk with the boys.

She sat on a log facing the fire. She sighed deeply trying to release all her pent up stress. She rubs her hands over her eyes.

A hand presses on her shoulder. Eliza becomes alert and shies away from the hand. She turns her head to see Clay. She blushes, embarrassed to her reaction to his touch.

He sits next to her. He studies her for a minute and wraps one arm around her, pulling her close to his side.

"How are you?" His voice is gentle. Eliza is baffled by how such a broad, muscular guy can have such a tender demeanor.

Eliza has to think. She has been so concerned with protecting everyone else that she hasn't given her own well-being much thought. "Um..." She shrugged and turns to face Clay. Their faces inches apart. Light flickers onto their faces, illuminating their eyes, from the fire.

"Can you do something for me?" Clay asks in a hushed voice.

Eliza nods.

"Tomorrow, things are going to change. No matter what happens, don't lose yourself. Promise me, you won't change." His gaze has become more stern, serious, but not angry.

Eliza studies him. "I-I can't promise that I won't change." He breaks eye contact and sits back, letting his arm fall from her shoulder. "But-" Eliza is quick to recover, her voice raising in volume. "-I will promise you that my feeling for you won't change. How could they? I love you too much." Eliza is shocked at her words. She knows that they're true, but the word "love" has been hard for her to say ever since she lost her Mother.

They once again stare eye to eye. Clay runs his hand gently over her cheek. "I love you too." Then he bridges the gap between them and brings his lips to hers.

Eliza gets lost in the moment. When their lips are joined, the rest of the world seems to fall away. She has no recollection of her anxieties or the troubles ahead.

They held each other. Eliza had no recollection of wrapping her arms around him or of him moving his arms around her. After the moment ended they stayed in each other's arms.

Clay pressed his forehead to hers. They were quiet for a moment, listening to their breathing and the crackle of the fire.

Eliza spoke first. "This is my special spot."

"I like it, very cosy." He replies.

Eliza smiles.

He continues. "I saw that you have writing on some of the trees."

Now they sit up. Hands at their sides, facing the fire.

Eliza replies by saying, "Oh, what about it intrigues you?" Eliza sees where this is going. He's jealous of Sebastian, but he shouldn't be. She has never loved Sebastian like how she loves Clay, and she made it clear to Sebastian the last time they talked face to face that she just wanted to be friends.

"Well, I was wondering about one of the saing."

Here it comes, Eliza thinks, bracing herself.

"It said 'dum spiro spero.' What does that mean?"

Eliza was relieved. She was wrong. "Oh, that's my family motto. My last name is 'Spero' and well, I guess it fits." Eliza is fitting the pieces together. "It means 'while I breathe, I hope'. I actually never realized that that was referring to my Mother's faith in the rebellion."

Now Eliza realizes that her Mother hadn't really kept the rebellion under wraps. She had been preparing Eliza to one day join her. Eliza had been six when her Mother died even if her Mother wanted to tell her about the rebellion, it was wisest to keep her in the dark, so she didn't expose it. Eliza now realizes that her uncle had known that her Mother was a rebel. For her Mother, any appearance could mean her death, but she still went.

When Eliza trailed her Mother to the rally, they were breaking into the escape room and arena. She had thought that they were destroying it in protest against it, but now Eliza knows better. She knows that those buildings have nation wide video broadcast. They were going to tell the world the truth.

That's how Eliza intended to do it. She wanted the rebels on her side, but with her wolf, she technically didn't need them. There is no need for two rebel groups, but Eliza have been caught up in pointless fights all her life and she was determined to keep her emotions in check so she will not fight them.

Eliza let her thoughts settle and she headed back to her sleeping bag. It was too warm inside so Eliza lay on top, but then the cool evening breeze made her shiver.

Clay walked out from his tent with a blanket and his pillow. "Mind if we share."

Eliza smiled. She unzipped her sleeping bag and laid it open. They both laid down on it and clay spread his blanket over them. Perfect, Eliza thought feeling a swell of contentment rise within her.